Bayou Body Count: Don't Mess With A Cop's K-9

At about 4:30 p.m. Friday, Houston police officer W.G. Smith made his way to an apartment complex at 7100 Renwick to check out a burglary that was supposedly going on. As Smith was heading up to the apartment, one of the people who lived there got home to find his TV was on, that his front window was broken and saw what he thought was someone inside his place, police say.

When Smith arrived at the residence, a man, who is believed to be the robbery suspect, was leaving the apartment through the broken window, police say. Smith and other officers ordered the man to get on the ground, but the man allegedly refused. Officers then sent a police dog into the patio area to help with the arrest. The man then yanked out a screw driver and tried to stab the dog, police say. Smith then charged in to the patio area, where he was stabbed, police say. Fearing for his life, Smith fired his gun, landing a fatal shot in the man's chest, police say.

Smith, who has been on the force since June 1998, was not badly injured, police say. HPD's Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney's Office are investigating, as is the norm in officer-involved shootings.

Early this morning police began the uphill battle of piecing together a murder investigation with few leads and little suspect information. But for Houston's boys in blue, it's just another day at the office.

At about 1:30 a.m. the 41-year-old victim and a group of friends were inside a restaurant at 11415 Bellaire having drinks when a man walked up to their table. The victim and the man began arguing over money, police say, when the man told the victim to step outside. (Never a good move, by the way). It was then, police say, that the man stabbed the victim and ran away. The victim died at Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Police say they do not know who the killer is and have not yet released the name of the deceased.

Police have finally caught up with the man they believe shot another man in the parking lot of the Ashford Point Apartments at 4040 Synott on April 8. Xavier Price, 22, has been charged with murder and is currently at the Harris County jail on a $100,000 bond, court records show. Police say Dhirubhai Karsaliya was driving his car in the apartment building's parking lot when he was shot in the head.

Finally, police are also investigating the shooting of a man the Hollow Park Apartments at 2550 Joel Wheaton Road just before midnight on Friday. Officers arrived at the apartment building and found the dead man, who had been shot several times, lying in the grass. Police say they have no suspects.

If you have any information concerning these investigations please call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.